Rotary explosive-engine.



No. 885,113. I PATENTED APR. 21, 1908. J. P. WALSH.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, l 907.

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PATENTED APR.21, 1908. J. P. WALSH.

' .ROTARY EXPLOSIVE mwnm PPLIOA ION ILED AUG. 1 0 1 A T P 30 9 7 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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8' PATENIED 111m. 21, 1908.

1 J P WALSH ROTARY EXPLOSIVE.-ENGINE APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1907.

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in r0 WITNESSES.

I BYHIS .aTmRmz-x To all whom it may concern:

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JOHN P. WALSH, OFST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

ROTARY EXPLOSIVE-ENGIIIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A ia 21, 1908.

Application filed August 30, 1907. Serial No. 390,739.

3e it known that I, JOHN P. WALSH, a CltlZeIl of the United States, residing at St.

vation of my improved engine, about as on tion of a central portion of the engine.

-- mechanism shown Fig. 2.

line g-g in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 IS a substantially central vertical sectional view of the en ine. Fig. 3 is a central sectional view of one 0? the mixers. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view on line a a, in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is afront eliva .i 6 is a partly finished rear-view of Fig. 5. 7 is a longitudinal. central section of one of the air-compressing cylinders with adjacent piping. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the main -frame. Fig. 9 is a partly sectional view of feed valve for the oil, gas or like ineansufrom which the explosive force is derived, and some parts adjacent to said valve. Fig. 10 is a front view of the valve controlling partly in the middle of Fig. 11 is a top view of Fig. 10. I Fig. 12 is an enlarged ortion of one of the explosion cylinders wit ran igniting plug andcontacting means. -Fig. 13 is a sectional View on line hh in Fig. 12 with igniting plug omitted. V

Referring to the drawing by reference numorals, the main frame comprises a bed plate or base 1 with three uprights 0r stands 2, 3 and 4. In the stands 3 and 4 is j ournaled the. main shaft 5 of the engine. 6 is a pulley on said shaft for transmission of the power of the engine to other machinery.

Upon the front end of the shaft 5 is fixed a wheel 7, carrying four equidistant radially disposed explosion cylinders 8, each of which has a bucket-piston 9 connected by a link rod 10 to a bushing or hollow'shaft 114 journaled in the front stand 2, as much below the-center of the main shaft 5 as half the stroke of each piston, so that when the wheel makes one. halt revolution each piston makes a full that every Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of stroke or motion equal tothe length of the cylinder. The result of this arrangement is explosion in any 01" the cylinders While the rod 10 points beyond the center of the main wheel tends to revolve said wheel and by it the shaft 5 and pulley 6. 1

The compressed air mixed with gas of any serviceable kind is..admitted' into the cylin-.

d-ers through ports 12 leading from a ringshaped compression chamber or reservoir 13, which is constantly kept filled by the two double acting diametrically opposite air pumps 14 fixed on the wheel and connected with the reservoir'13 by pipes 15, as best shown in Fig. 7. The piston rods of said pumps are connected at 18 by crossheads 16 and link rods 17 to a ring 19, revolving on an eccentric 20 fixed or formed on the rear end of a hollow shaft 21 whose front end is pro- .vided with a worm-gear 22, turned by a worm-screw 23 and hand-wheel 24 fixed on same, whereby when the screw is turned the eccentric 20 reduces or increases the stroke of the pump pistons according "to the air pressure desired.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the greatest stroke ismdicated by a downward. position of the eccentric, an upward position will give the shortest stroke, and a sidewise position will give the normal stroke, which would be equal to the stroke of the pistons.

the o passing through. the hollow eccentric s aft 21 into radial pipes 27, having each a mixer28 and joining an abutment 29, connecting the reservoir 13 with each working cylinder. In said abutment are two valves 30 and 31,0011- trolling respectively the' passage of the oil vapor from the mixer 28 which is heated by the exhaust from spout 32, and the compressed air from the reservoir. valves are rocked by shafts 33-34 having rocker arms 35 and 36 respectively, which .when the main wheel revoives rock the shafts and the valves by comin into passing contact with cams 37 of a doub e arm 38fpivo'ted to a sleeve 39, sliding on the sha t 5.

Said arm 38 is adjustable to and from the Said two If 'asolene or similar oil is used for power ii is fed from a tank 25 through a me 26 rocker arms 3536 by a link 41, hand lever fi l )5 42 and finger latch 43 enga ing various notches in a sector 44 fixed on t e sleeve, so that the amount'of explosives admitted to the cylinders is regulated by the greater or lesser rocking movement of the valves. The

Wires 61 Wit valves are returned to the closed position by springs 40.

The valves are similarly controlled by a governor comprising the balls -45 on bellcrank levers 46 pivoted to the main wheel and havin their inner arms pivotsily connested by llDkS 47 to ayolre e8 engaging an annular groove in the sleeve 3%, so that when the balls spread from too great a speed of the engine the yoke will'slide sleeve 39 and thereby diminish the contact of cams 3-7 with arms 35 and 36. 49 are springs for returning the bell-crank levers to normzil position when the speed oi the engine has been profoerly is L regulated by the governor. Thus thet'desired speed is regulated by lever 42 and such speed s maintained automatically by the governor.

' The engine is stopped by swinging lever 4-2. in Fig. 2 so far to the left that the cam s ST get out of the circular path of the &I111,35 and 36. i

To regulate the time of intake of the explosives, and to reverse the engine I provide upon stand 3 (see Figs. 11 and 10) a toothed sector 50 which by means of a latch and a finger lever 51 holds hand lever 52 in various ositions. Said hand lever is connected bye" oosely pivoted linkrod 53 to the sleeve 39, so that the sleeve audits valve operating parts may be turned and held in opposite positions 'for running the engine in opposite directions and in either direction the intake of the exlosives may be admitted a little earlier or litter than normally by setting lever 52 a notch outside ,,or inside of the regular position. The varioils positions of the parts are fairly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10, and in Figs. 10 and 11 is also shown that the cam faces 37 are of some length so as to hold the valve open for the period necessary to admit the required amount of explosives.

As shown in Fig. 2 and best in Fig. 9, the gas or gas producing oil, is admitted into the tubes 27 through a needle valve 5% normally held closed by a spring 55, and by a sliding yoke connected with the sleeve 3%, and thus opened by the governor as soon as the engine is given a few revolutions as is usual .in starting gasolene engines by various means.

The 1 nitingmechamsm may be of any suitable 1nd, but I have iii-Fig. 2 indicated an electric battery 57 connected with a contact post, 58 adjustably secured to the stand 2 ,(see also Figs. ,8, 12 and 13) and having a contact linger 59 adapted to touch each contact plate 60 which are secured one near the end of each oWer cylinder and connected by li a spark plug 62 of any suitable type. The finger 59 protrudes inward through a slot 63 in the stand 2, and is thus adjustable with the post 58 from side to side, whereby the igniting may be regulated so as to take place when the piston is on its deed center or a little before or after said pointiaccordmg to the speed at which the engine is ,run.

inders radiall secured u ,on the wheel )is tons in the cylinders, piston rods pivotally secured to the piston and projecting out of the inner ends of the cylinders, rovoluhlc. hollow shaft journaled in the frame near thev wheel in an ecce 'tric position to the axis oi" 50,

the shaft and being pivotally secured to the inner ends of the piston rods,and means for introducing and for igniting explosives in the outer ends of said cylinders when. each piston rod is in position to impart rotary motion to 5 the Wheel. I

2. In an explosive engine, the combination with. a suitable frame, of a main shaft journaled therein, a Wheel fixed on one end of the shaft, 9. series of explosion chambers or cylinders fixed radially upon the Wheel, )istons in the cylinders, piston rods or linlc'rods pivotally secured to the pistons and projcctmg out of the inner ends of the cylinders, a

revoluble hollow shaft 11 journaled in the frame near the Wheel in an eccentric position to the axis of the shaft and being pivotally secured to the inner ends of the piston rods, an air reservoir fixed upon the wheel and having abutments communicating with all 190 the explosion chambers, a plurality of air pumps fixed upon the wheel and adapted to comoress air in. the rescrv is. the sleevc 21 journals d Within the hollow shaft 11, the

eccentric 20 at one end-and the worm Wheel 22 at the other end thereof, the eccentric v yolrclg revolving on said eccentric, double acting pistons in the pump cylinders, guided piston rods moving the pistons, link -rods conn cting the piston rods with the yoke on the eccentric, and a hand-operated Wormscrew engaging said Worm wheel and automatically operated, valves controlling the passing of the compressed air from the reser voir to theexplosion chambers.

3. In an eX losive engine, the combination with a suitab e frame, of a main shaft journaled thercin,a wheel listed on one end of the shaft, a series of explosion chambers or cylinders fore/d radially upon the wheel, istons in the cylinders, piston rods or lin; rods pivotally secured to the pistons and project mg out of the inner-ends of thecyhnders a revoluble hollow shaft 11 journaled in the frame near the Wheel, in an eccentric position to the axis of the shaft and being pivotally secured to the inner ends-of the piston rods, an air reservoir fixed upon tlie'wheel and having abutments communicating with all the explosion chambers, a plurality of air zo-branch tubes, a governor carried bythe pumps fixed upon the wheel and 'adapted'to f at the other end'thei'eof, the eccentric yoke 19 revolving on saideccentric, doubleacting pistons in the pump cylinders, guided piston rods moving the istons, link-rods connect ing the piston r0 s with the yoke on the eccentric and a hand-o erated Wormscrew'en gaging said worm w eel, and automatically operated valves'c'ontrolling the passing of compressed air from the reservoir to the explosion chambers, an elevated reservoir for gasolene or other ex losive oil, a ipe extending therefrom and through the s eeve 21 and branch tubes extending therefrom to the I wheel and operatively, connected with 'said valve, automatically o erate'd valves controlling the inlet of the o l into the air passing to the ex losion chamberfsaid inlet valves for air an oil or gasor the like being 0 era-- tively connected with said overnor-an the mixers or heaters 28 on t e.' branchtubes near the exhaust of the'ex'plosion cylindersjgi whereby the gas or oil is prepared for mixing with theair. I I v i 4. In an explosive engine-of 'the'type set forth and mounted in a suitable frame, the combination with arevolublemain shaft and a wheel secured on one endthereof, and air pumps and'xplosion cylinders secured on the wheel and operated-as described, of a ball governor mountedon the wheel, a-yoke ac:

tuated by the governor, a sleeve slidable on the shaft and engaged by the yoke, springheld valvescarrie'd by the wheel for admitting explosives into the explosion cylinders and having stems with rocker arms thereon, cams pivot-ally, mounted on the sleeve and adapted to operate the valves as thero'cker 'arms pass the cams and means foradjusting said cams into more or less contact'or no -contact with the rocker arms.

- 5. In aniexplosive engine of the type set forth and mounted in.a suitable frame, the I combination with a revoluble main shaft and a wheel secured on one end thereof and airpumps and explosion cylinders secured on the wheel and operated as described, of a ball governor mounted'on the wheel, a yoke actuated bythe governor, a'sleeve 'slidable on .the shaft and engaged by the yoke, springheld valves carried by the Wheel for admitting explosives into the explosion cylinders and having stems with rocker arms thereon, cams pivotally mounted on the sleeve and adapted to operate the valves as the rocker arms pass the cams and means for adjusting I said cams into more or less contact or no contact with the rocker arms; the levei' 52 pivoted to the frame of the engine, a link-rod "connecting it with the sleeve, and means for holding said lever in various positions for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature,

.in'presence of two witnesses.

i I JOHN P. WALSH.

Witnesses:

THEODORE, SANDERS, d BERrnAENeELs. 

